Note: The League Table link opens the league tables page on the LEAFA site – scroll down to the Edinburgh East table.

Stead & Simpson Cup – Quarter-final: Wednesday 10th May 2017

BALERNO ATHLETIC 1 HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY 0

Watt started this match with a tight defensive formation, but were undone after just four minutes’ play when Steven Aitken got above the visitors’ defence to head a diagonal cross past Ian Harkness.

Balerno, with several former Watt players in their ranks, continued to test the Watt defence with crosses and balls played up to their front men, but despite the difficulties posed by a hard, bumpy pitch, Watt stuck to its passing game and created a number of chances, only to find former Riccarton favourite Daniel Mackenzie in fine form in the home goal.

In the second half, with a slight breeze behind them, the Watt players started well and pressed forward, dominating the game after switching to a 3 – 4 – 3 formation fifteen minutes into the half. Balerno was kept hemmed in for long periods and had to rely on sporadic breaks with which the Watt defence coped well.

Scoring chances were created regularly, but Mackenzie’s athleticism and ill fortune with rebounds denied Watt a route back into the game. Needing only one goal to take the game to penalties, Watt came agonisingly close when, with five minutes left to play, Jake Lloyd’s free kick rattled the crossbar, but despite unceasing effort right up to the final whistle, the ball just wouldn’t go over the line.

For the last match of the season, the Amateurs played for the first time in the ‘Oriam’ indoor pitch, but couldn’t get the win they needed to go above their opponents.

As usual, Andy Gibson had been obliged to make changes to his selection, but there were four substitutes available to him on this occasion, which is better than it has been at times during the season.

Michael Ward was given a stern lecture by the referee in the first minute for a foul which injured South Amateurs’ striker Grant Aitchison and would probably have resulted in a caution at any later time in the game, but despite this doubtful start and the importance of the game, it was generally played in a good spirit.

Watt had a great chance to go ahead after five minutes’ play when John Murchie drove to the by-line and cut the ball back, but with just the goalkeeper to beat, Gregor Louden sliced his shot so completely that the ball stayed in play. The miss was expensive, as two minutes later, the visitors went ahead. Right back Gregg Veitch sped down the right and sent the ball low and firmly across the face of goal and it was met at speed and driven into the net by a player who may have been Stuart Martin, but whoever it was, he was so quickly enveloped in the congratulations of team-mates that it was hard to be sure of his identity.

During the succeeding period of play, the initiative went one way, then the other. Ward’s shot was accurate but was struck from too great a distance to trouble Jim Kellacher in the South Amateurs’ goal; Veitch’s cute chip gave another chance to Martin, but this time he failed to make good contact.

Stuart Matheson pulled a hamstring in blocking a shot and was replaced by Russell Scott, with Stuart Bashford going into central defence, where he gave a fine performance.

A good ball down the right gave Murchie a chance to try a lob over Kellacher, but he was off target. Five minutes later, however, Murchie found the net, running on to a fine pass to round Kellacher and slide the ball accurately into the far corner from a tight angle.

From that point until half-time, Watt remained in the ascendancy and created several half-chances. A free kick from the right was played out of the area as far as Jake Lloyd, who controlled the ball and tried a shot from distance. When it was blocked on the edge of the box, Lloyd picked up the rebound and drove at the visitors’ defence, eluding challenges to penetrate into the area and shoot, but Kellacher had his angles right and saved low to his right.

In the last minute of the half, Watt players and supporters were loudly claiming a penalty as Murchie ran through on the edge of the area and came down under challenges from both sides. The referee said at half-time that he felt he’d come down too easily, but it was hard to see how he could have kept his feet under the buffeting he received. John did confirm, however, that the contact had been just outside the box.

The second half was a bit of a disappointment. After the Watt side had dominated towards half-time, we looked for them to continue the good work, but there was a loss of continuity and the visitors’ sporadic raids were the more dangerous for a time, with Grant Aitchison leading the line well. Veitch’s snap shot which grazed the bar was the nearest thing to a goal in this spell.

Watt’s best effort in the early stages of the half came from a good ball by Cammy Sneddon, which Murchie set back for Cammy Miller to strike, but from the edge of the area he couldn’t get enough power to beat Kellacher, who saved near his right-hand post.

Daniel Faber replaced the tiring Lloyd and gave us an excellent half-hour, putting in a couple of superb tackles, one at least of which was surely a goal-saver, and generally looking bright, sharp and positive. Watt’s biggest problem, however, was their ponderous build-up, which gave South Amateurs ample time to organise to repel crosses into the box when they arrived and made it difficult for wide players to penetrate into dangerous areas from which to send in low crosses. One good move, with possession retained during a long series of passes on the left, did end with a shot from Miller which was turned round the post by Kellacher, but this was unusual and as the game wore on, Watt found it increasingly difficult to create meaningful chances.

In the last minute of the game, a good combination between Scott and Louden gave the Watt a final opportunity, but shots from the edge of the area generally lacked the force to test Kellacher, and Louden’s effort was no different from others in this respect.

Andy Gibson shuffled his resources once again as Watt took on fellow-Lothian East members Musselburgh Windsor in the Stead & Simpson Cup on the Riccarton synthetic.

Watt, playing a 4 – 4 – 2 formation, settled quickly and by half-time were two goals to the good. Cammy Miller, playing as a striker for the first time this season, opened the scoring with a header before regular scorer Michael Webster scrambled home a second.

The Watt increased the tempo from the start of the second half and added another three goals in the first fifteen minutes after half-time. Webster and Miller did the damage again, Webster scoring twice and Miller once to give the Watt a commanding five-goal lead.

As the game wore on on the big pitch, the ball was moved across the back line with increasing regularity and this eventually led to the loss of a goal, goalkeeper Ian Harkness challenging a forward rashly near the corner of the box to concede a penalty, but the Watt was never in any danger of serious erosion of its lead. The game ended without further scoring to take the Watt forward to the Third Round of the Cup.

Watt secured a valuable away win thanks to a strong first-half performance. Playing with the benefit of a following breeze, the Watt side raced into a three-goal lead. Jake Lloyd scored two of them, with John Murchie notching the other.

After half-time, the weather deteriorated, with rain verging on snow driving into the faces of the Watt players. The home side pressed forward and Watt was forced to do a lot more defending. Pathhead pulled a goal back, but the Watt dug deep and showed plenty of character and determination. Jake Lloyd had a chance to complete his hat-trick and restore a three-goal advantage, but shot wide.

The home side scored again in the final minute, but Watt held out to take all three points.

Edinburgh East Division: Saturday 30th April 2016

Gilmerton 6 Heriot-Watt University 3

Heriot-Watt started well against table-topping Gilmerton and created some promising attacks, but Gilmerton capitalised on a mistake to snatch the lead and went two up with a header from a corner kick. Watt responded with a goal from a good header by John Murchie, but quickly conceded another goal from a corner. Jamie Booth‘s penalty kick brought Watt back into contention before half-time and the visitors’ chances were further enhanced when a Gilmerton player received his second caution and was dismissed.

Watt started brightly on the resumption and equalised through Ben Atkinson. Both sides battled hard, but the strength and determination of the home side eventually wore down the Watt players. Gilmerton went back in front by exploiting another error by a Watt player and added two more goals before the final whistle as the Watt tried to push forward in search of a way back into the match.

Watt opened the scoring through Bruce Hay, but Cavalry Park equalised before half-time. In the second half, Watt won the game with three further goals. Bruce Hay scored again to make it 2 – 1, then a screamer from Murdo MacIver into the top corner of the net put the Watt in control before John Murchie completed the scoring.

Further details to follow if available.

.

Edinburgh East Division: Wednesday 20th April 2016

Tranent Amateurs 2 Heriot-Watt University 0

Report to follow if available.

.

Edinburgh East Division: Saturday 16th April 2016

FC Oceana v Heriot-Watt University

FC Oceana conceded the points for this game.

.

Edinburgh East Division: Saturday 9th April 2016

Heriot-Watt University 1 Tranent Amateurs 1

This clash of promotion-seeking sides was evenly-contested until the final minutes of the first half, when a Watt mistake gifted a chance to the visitors, who took the opportunity.

The sides continued to look well matched in the second half, but half-way through that period, a hard tackle on Neil Robb resulted in a dispute which saw both sides reduced to ten men. Bruce Hay was the Watt player involved.

It looked as if that earlier mistake would cost the Watt the three points, but with just a few minutes left to play, Cammy Sneddon sent across a low centre and Jamie Booth fired home the equaliser.

A hard-fought battle between these two promotion contenders could have gone either way. Waverley started strongly and scored with a header from a corner, but the Watt responded, equalising through a smart half-volley by Jamie Booth.

The Watt side grew stronger as the game progressed and took the lead when Jack O’Hagan scored with a good header from a corner-kick. Heriot-Watt spurned a number of chances to stretch the lead and the players were left to rue the misses when with quarter of an hour left to play, Athletic tied the scores again with a goal from a strong header.

It was anybody’s game now, but unfortunately for the Watt, the home side was awarded a soft penalty with five minutes of the match left to play and converted it with aplomb.

With the prize of a Cup Final place at stake, Watt took on lowly Edinburgh West Division side Edinburgh Star at a wet Saughton Park. The Star side battled to the last and got their reward in a remarkable ending to the game, but the Watt side seemed to have perfected the art of throwing a game away.

Rain was falling lightly at the start of this game at Saughton 3G, but it gradually intensified for the next hour and more, with much of the second half played in a steady downpour. Watt didn’t start off too convincingly, but in what was the first serious University attack, in ten minutes, a Star player diverted the ball on to the post with his hand, leading to a sending-off and a penalty kick which was converted efficiently by Bruce Hay.

The remainder of the first half was rather scrappy, with perhaps the most notable event being Star’s introduction of big forward Gavin Ruthven to replace a smaller striker who seemed to have a hamstring problem. Ruthven’s energy and movement were of great value to his team in the remainder of the match.

Watt made their own forward substitution early in the second half, John Murchie replacing Chris Sellar, and during the next fifteen minutes or so had several chances to increase their advantage. A good free kick by Hay was played over his own bar by a Star defender and when the corner was played in fast and low, Ollie Holt, having had one shot blocked, really got hold of the rebound, only to see that effort blocked on the line.

Star brought on another substitute for their limping right-back, but within a minute, the Watt made and missed another great chance when the ball was again kicked off the line. Hay went down the left and cut the ball back to Murchie, who miskicked with his first effort but got back on to the ball and fired in a much better shot. Once again, however, the Star defence had a man in the right spot to clear the ball off the goal-line.

Having survived this spell which seemed likely to end their chances, Star responded with pressure of their own and scored a fine equaliser when Scott Davidson rose at the far post to power home a header from a corner. Watt could scarcely believe that they had been unable to put away their depleted opponents, but neither side could find a goal before the ninety minutes were up and the game went into extra time.

Both sides had good efforts in the first half of extra time. Findlay Murchie got fingertips to the ball to divert it round the post, then Hay’s free kick was played across goal and struck the post. Finally, in the last action of the half, Watt scored a goal of quality when Jamie Booth ran on to a pass, took the ball inside his marker and struck an excellent, dipping shot into the postage-stamp corner from twenty metres.

Three minutes into the second period, Watt appeared to have sealed their place in the Final at last when Hay was in position to accept a cutback from the line and steer the ball into the corner of the net.

After that, however, Watt became complacent. What cost the team particularly dear was that it began to concede unnecessary free kicks. Star got a goal back when Findlay Murchie was unable to secure a cross and the loose ball was poked into goal by Liam Elder.

When a foul was carelessly committed by a Watt striker a few minutes later, the ball was played forward into midfield and knocked on into the box. Ruthven’s first attempt was blocked, but the substitute striker recovered the ball and struck a fierce shot on the turn past Murchie’s left hand to equalise the scores again.

Watt was stumbling through a nightmare now, but it took another silly foul to bring the ultimate catastrophe. The free kick was conceded right in the middle of the Watt half. Zander Paget played the ball into the penalty area, but with a dual purpose, as the direction was towards the goal. How much intent there was must be open to doubt, but the placement turned out to be perfect, as the ball sailed in under the bar to give Star an unlikely victory.

The victors had played all but ten minutes of the two hours with ten men but had never looked deficient in numbers and perhaps that says quite a lot about how much short of their best the Watt players were on this important occasion.

After a goal-less first half, the Watt took the lead when Bruce Hay was on hand to finish off a good cross from Chris Sellar. This was quickly followed by a second goal from a fine strike by Jamie Booth.

Strollers got a goal back when a cross was headed into goal, but the Watt restored its two-goal lead when Booth struck again.
.

No report available for the Edinburgh East Division match on Saturday 12th March (Haddington Athletic 2 Heriot-Watt University 2)
.

Anderson Cup, Quarter-final: Saturday 5th March 2016

Heriot-Watt University 5 Blackridge Vale of Craig 1

Edinburgh West Division side Blackridge Vale of Craig was the Watt’s rival for a place in the Semi-final of the Anderson Cup and the visitors started the brighter of the sides, taking the lead half-way through the first half.

Watt got back on level terms in the thirty-seventh minute. A penalty was awarded for a foul on Andreas Ppalis and from the spot Bruce Hay drove the ball into the top right corner of the goal. Before half-time, Ppalis provided the pass for Hay to notch his second goal of the day to put the Watt ahead.

Twenty minutes into the second half, Hay completed his hat-trick to put the home side in control and then Watt’s place in the Semi-final was cemented with two further goals. David Dunnett created the first of these with a strong run on the right wing and a cross which was converted by Murdo Maciver before Hay turned provider with a cross from which Ollie Spence completed the scoring.

The Watt started strongly in this match and went two goals up in the first quarter of an hour. Stevie Donald started the scoring with a lob over the goalkeeper after eight minutes; then five minutes later Jake Lloyd applied the finish after a fine passing move.

Dunbar was not ready to capitulate, however, and two quick goals around the half-hour put the visitors back on level terms, a shot which went in off the post being followed by the conversion of a penalty kick.

Before half-time, however, the Watt was back in front when Stevie Donald got his second of the day with a shot which deflected off the Athletic goalkeeper.

Watt stretched its lead in the second half. Andreas Ppalis sent a free kick into the top left-hand corner of the goal ten minutes after half-time before a cross into the penalty box was steered home by Ollie Holt. The scoring was completed ten minutes from time when Connor McKenna drove a free kick past the goalkeeper.

No reports have been received for the matches on the 6th of February (Heriot-Watt 1 Gilmerton 3) and the 13th of February (Dunbar Athletic 3 Heriot-Watt 4).

.

Edinburgh East Division: Saturday 23rd January 2016

Heriot-Watt University 5 F C Oceana 2

This was an impressive victory by the Watt side over a team which had lost only once in its previous seven league matches. Bruce Hay notched a hat trick as the Watt clinched victory in the second half.

John Murchie gave the Watt a first-half lead with a shot from inside the penalty area, but the visitors got back on level terms from a header from a corner. Watt made and missed a few chances before Bruce Hay put the side back in front, but Oceana again drew level after a smart right-sided move.

Early in the second half, Watt went ahead for a third time, Fergus Morris netting, and this time the Oceana pressure was resisted. Eventually, Bruce Hay added two more goals to make the points secure.

Heriot-Watt took the lead when full-back Toby Macintosh slotted in a cross from the right. Watt continued to play the better football but a defensive error gave Athletic a chance which was flicked past Lindsay Millar to make the scores level. Watt made and missed numerous chances and at half-time it was still one goal apiece.

The Watt clinched the match in the second half, Andres Santa finding the net to give the visitors the lead before Bruce Hay finished things off with a goal to make the final score 3 – 1.

When a LEAFA side hasn’t played many league games, it generally indicates it’s a good side and has been doing well in cup competitions. Watt’s opponents on Saturday, Shotts Thistle, have played only five league fixtures so far, less than half of the number played by four teams in its Edinburgh West Division and at least two fewer than any other team. It has won all five of the league games played. So the Watt expected a tough game in the Logan Cup and got one, but the match was not so one-sided as might appear from the scoreline.

Watt started well and took the lead when Andres Santa played the ball over the Shotts goalkeeper to find the net. The Watt had further chances to score in the first half, but by half-time Shotts had scored twice to take a narrow lead.

The game was still in the balance for the first twenty minutes of the second half, but then the Watt began to run out of steam and to make defensive mistakes which cost them dearly. Shotts chalked up three more goals to make the final score clear cut.

As befits a team from the Conference Division, two levels above that at which the Watt side plays its league football, Lochend started strongly and pressed the home side hard in the early stages, producing a goal after around ten minutes when a cross was headed home.

The Watt side battled back into the game, however, and was rewarded when Neil Robb pounced on a rebound from a shot from Bruce Hay to drive in the equaliser.

In the second half, the pattern of scoring was similar to that of the first. Lochend went back in front ten minutes into the half when their striker controlled the ball on his chest and sent a volley into the top left corner of the goal, only for Watt to bring the scores level again with twenty minutes left to play, this time from the penalty spot. Bruce Hay was pushed to the deck when through on goal and calmly put away the penalty himself.

In the closing stages of the game, both sides had great chances to score again but poor finishing, bad fortune and good goalkeeping kept it level going into the last minute. With half a minute left to play, the Watt defence headed away a cross and a Lochend player caught it perfectly on the half-volley to score a goal worthy of being the winner.

There can’t have been many stranger games than this one this season, ending as it did ten minutes early due to the remaining Haddington players walking off the pitch when the team lost its third player to a red card.

Watt started strongly, with Andreas Ppalis scoring two early goals, but Haddington scored with a header from a corner to reduce the deficit and then equalised when a cross was converted by their striker, leaving the scores tied at the interval.

Watt made another strong start in the second half and went ahead again from a Bruce Hay penalty. After that, things started to deteriorate for the visitors. There had been a number of cautions for late challenges and ten minutes into the half a second yellow card brought the first of the dismissals. From that point on, as Watt added more goals, Athletic lost more players. Bruce Hay scored again and there were goals for John Murchie, Andres Santa, Ollie Holt and Scott Davies. For Haddington, there was another goal, but two more dismissals and when the side was reduced to eight, those players simply left the pitch, leaving the referee no option but to terminate proceedings. It seems likely that the Association will take firm action on receipt of the referee’s report.

Facing a strong wind in the first half, Heriot-Watt started slowly, but gathered momentum towards the end of the half, with John Murchie intercepting a pass from the Strollers goalkeeper to put the Watt ahead.

Ten minutes into the second half, a break down the left brought a second goal, Jake Lloyd cutting inside and slipping the ball into the bottom left corner of the net. Civil Service got a goal back when a long ball through the middle of the park split the Watt defence, but Watt quickly responded when two of their substitutes combined to create a goal with Martin Andvik’s beautiful through pass being hammered home by Fergus Morris.

With three minutes left to play, the Strollers reduced the margin again when their striker latched on to a ball played behind the Watt defence and went on to score, but the Watt saw out the remaining time to secure the three points.

Two goals from Bruce Hay were not enough to prevent the Watt side succumbing to the league leaders.

Vics opened the scoring with a penalty in fifteen minutes and added two more goals before half-time, but after the interval Watt’s defending was more effective and there was a flicker of hope when John Murchie was dragged down in the box and Hay found the bottom corner of the net from the penalty which resulted. Watt was unable to build on this, however, and the three-goal lead was re-established from a back-post header. Hay scored again with a drive over the Vics goalkeeper but the home side quickly grabbed another goal to finish comfortable winners.